AB-100 exam format: questions, score and cost

AB-100 requires a scaled score of 700 out of 1000 to pass and is offered in 13 languages. Microsoft’s exam page does not publish the duration, the number of questions or a fixed price, and says only that the price depends on the country or region where you sit the exam. Below is everything the official pages state, and what it means for your revision.

Check the booking screen for the duration and any extra-time options before you plan your day. Some third-party sites quote a time limit and question count; treat those as unverified until they appear on Microsoft’s own pages.

The three domains

Deploy is nearly half the exam. Its five areas are: analyse, monitor and tune; manage testing; design the ALM process; and design responsible AI, security, governance, risk management and compliance. If you have limited time, spend it there. The detail is in Plan explained, Design explained and Deploy explained.

The October 14, 2026 update

Microsoft states that the English version of this exam is updated on October 14, 2026, and localized versions follow roughly eight weeks later. This section is written to the outline titled “Skills measured as of October 14, 2026”, which is the newest one published. Microsoft’s change log lists the three domain headings as unchanged and three sub-sections as “minor” changes: the overall AI strategy design, the AI and agents design, and the ALM process design. The domain weights stay the same.

The updated wording also moves to current product names. Where older material says Azure AI Foundry or Azure AI services, the new outline says Microsoft Foundry and Foundry Tools. If you studied before the update, re-read the outline with those changes in mind. If a translated version of the exam is not yet updated, you may meet the previous outline in your language.

Beta or generally available

The exam page carries no beta label at the time of writing. Microsoft notes that most questions cover generally available features, but that preview features can appear if they are commonly used. For an exam this new, with Copilot Studio, MCP and agent features changing fast, read current documentation rather than year-old blog posts.

Question types

Microsoft does not describe the exact mix for this exam. Microsoft exams in general combine single and multiple-answer questions, drag-and-drop, dropdowns, statement series and case studies; the exam sandbox shows the interface. For an architect exam, expect scenarios with requirements and constraints and a choice between several plausible designs.

The passing score is scaled

700 of 1000 is not 70% correct. Microsoft scales scores and does not publish the conversion, so aim for a consistent 80% or more on realistic practice material.

What the weights mean for revision

• Deploy (40–45%) is where the exam is decided. Learn the difference between monitoring, testing and ALM, and be able to design agent security and governance.
• Plan and Design (25–30% each) are about choosing the right platform and pattern. Practise stating, in one sentence, why one option beats another for a stated constraint.
• Product breadth matters more than depth. You need to know what Copilot Studio, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Foundry and the Dynamics 365 copilots each do, not every setting.

Retakes, extra time and renewal

If your language is not offered, Microsoft says you can request 30 extra minutes. Retake rules follow Microsoft’s general exam policy. The credential is valid for one year; Microsoft’s study guide says expert certifications renew through a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. Register with a personal Microsoft account, because records tied to a work account can be lost when you leave the organisation. For the day itself, see the exam day guide, and for costs see certification costs.